Thursday, June 2, 2016

Montreal’s Grand Prix: ‘You can order a woman the same way you can order a pizza’

Less than two weeks ahead of Grand Prix weekend, a new awareness campaign targeting sexual exploitation will be plastered across Montreal on billboards and city buses: Buying sex is not a sport.

Launched by several human rights groups on Wednesday, the campaign aims to fight against a reported increase in prostitution and child exploitation during the annual sporting event.

“Organizations working in the field notice it each year: With the arrival of major sporting events comes an increase of sexual exploitation accompanied by a rise in demand for sexual services,” said Lise Thériault, Quebec’s minister for the status of women, while attending the campaign’s launch. Too often, Thériault said, the increased demand during Grand Prix weekend is for underaged girls.

“In Montreal, you can order a woman the same way you can order a pizza,” said Nathalie Khlat, president of human rights group Phare des Affranchies. “You can order to your taste: a woman, a girl, skin colour, hair colour, background. You can get whatever you want.” (more...)